wonderful moments

-a free cookie with my coffee at the convenient store this morning. It was a large cookie, and had large chunks of chocolate in it. It wasn't home-made, but made a great mid-morning snack in between rehearsals!

-meeting some fine singers from all over. Today was the NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) Competition at The Crane School. We held "speed rehearsals": 10 minutes to throw together 3 (or 4!) songs -and from there to the concert hall. From the girl who detests lonnnngggggggg rehearsalllllllllllllllllllllssssss....it was nearly bliss.

-playing the impressionistic cascades of this art song for a young soprano. Of course, the chamber music version is lovely, too! But please let me play those runs. It is ever so much fun.

-receiving a photo on my cell phone of #1 Son playing in an impromptu fiddle jam in Schenectady. When I called him later about it, he told me he was handed a 18th century violin to play. He had been eating soup & minding his own beeswax when he heard the tunes coming from down the hall in Proctor's theater.

-preparing sleeping space for four dear friends who are crashing here overnight, only to breakfast & depart in the early morn. It is so very perfect to have a home that lends itself to such flurried visits! -Altho, long & stretched-out visits are nice, too. Right?

-reminding myself that I am playing keys for worship tomorrow morning. -And practically every Sunday morning I am in town, since the new Potsdam church-plant has  stretched our resources!
It is good to be stretched for Jesus. Our dear pastor encouraged us so richly last evening at our Annual Dinner & Business Meeting. Let's keep reminding ourselves to embrace change! Good things are happening as a result.

Here's hoping tomorrow brings a visit from #1 Daughter!

The Grasse River Ranch

I paid a visit to the Grasse River Ranch today.

A beautiful family resides there. See those children on the porch? They want to show me their kittens, hug my legs, and  tell me all about important things, namely: a bee sting, a dream about a horse, the baby spit up, and one particular goat really stinks.

They also wanted to show me their three dogs, the tire swing, and the fried potatoes on the wood stove.

They are wonderful kids. Each of them has farm chores -which they will tell you all about if you ask.

Here on the farm, they raise chickens ( for both meat & eggs) and goats ( for the most delectable cheese imaginable!).

Here is the Mama. She is holding The Miracle Baby in her arms.

Sometime I'll have to write about this little babe, as she is a wonder to behold, especially if one knows her story. I'll tell it soon.

We gathered on the porch for a group photo.
"Mrs. Hull, may I hold my cat in the picture?"

"Yes. Yes, you may."

 

 "But please let me still see your face."

 

Everyone loves the baby.

 

And they love their animals, this is for certain.

The Grasse River Ranch is holding an Open House on Saturday, October 29. Details to come!

glimpses

A few glimpses of autumn-happiness around here: the front porch.

The garden wall with sweet alyssum.

 

And tomatoes. Lots and lots of tomatoes. 

I have already put up plenty of green tomato salsa, but there may be more to come! In the meantime, tomatoes magically turn red & we eat them in every way imaginable.

I have loved you deeply, summer. Please don't leave me.

in defense of sitting still

How entirely fulfilling to sit on a rock & just be.

This sparkling morning, at the bottom of our bank, at the site where ye olde grist mill stood, I staked my perch. The salmon are running, and they splashed with abandon as they made their way to the falls. Strains of Schubert's "Trout Quintet" rang in my ears while I soaked in the late-autumn sun.

In defense of my sitting perfectly still for an hour or so, let me tell you a bit about my last few days:

-alumni weekend for my beloved church brought beloved faces into my home for the weekend. ( One in the loft, one on the couch, two in the office, one in the guest room. Both kiddy-liwinks in their bunny nests in their bedrooms). I kept reminding them that the event was NOT taking place here, as they tended to gravitate around our dining room table to laugh & talk & eat. But really, I minded not in the least. Especially when t this week's bride showed up numerous occasions.

It is such good luck to be near a bride.

-I rocked out on the keys Sunday morning, much to my arm's dismay. I have been nursing a touch of tennis elbow these days, mostly in my right arm.

And it doesn't help AT ALL that every day, my kayak paddle leaps into my hands & takes me out onto the river on my little green boat. It's not my fault either that my entire garden uprooted itself into my arms & walked me over the garden fence into the far reaches of the backyard.

Let's not even talk about the large stack of music awaiting me on my piano.


-Plenty of food has been prepared here recently. And this week has some fun culinary chores ahead: numerous pies & cakes for that bride I was talking about! Also: music to be rehearsed for the ceremony.

-speaking of music to be rehearsed, I need to get right on some other rehearsals, stat. Enough of fishie-watching. I need to get my piano-groove on.

Cheers!